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Montreal Gazette
6 days ago
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
Letters: Rich list, $10M handbag sad reminders of inequalities
The big headline on the front page of last Saturday's paper screamed: QUEBEC RICH LIST. Another article published that day was about an original Birkin handbag that sold for US$10 million at auction at Sotheby's in Paris. What happened to the adage 'sharing the wealth'? The other side of the story is homelessness and poverty. I feel sad about this imbalance. Eleanor Arless, Pointe-Claire Look beyond LaSalle College Whatever the details in the conflict between LaSalle College and the Quebec government, the main source of the issue must not be overlooked — Bill 96, which caps the number of students allowed to enrol in English programs in public and private colleges. Were it not for this law that targets English institutions of higher learning, this contentious situation involving a college founded in 1959 and a government bent on exacting severe punishment in the form of exorbitant fines that threatens the school's existence would not have occurred. LaSalle College thrives and survives with the presence of international students and provides jobs for hundreds of teachers. Not only is it lamentable that this battle must now be fought in court, but it is deplorable that the government will fight it on the basis of a law that, in my view, is morally offensive. How many English-speaking students are too many? What will it take to calm the anxieties of the CAQ government over 'too much English' being heard on downtown streets? The courts may sort out the details of this specific conflict, but it is Bill 96's discriminatory targeting of English-language institutions that needs amending. Goldie Olszynko, Mile End CAQ's attacks on education I'm appealing to the Quebec government to stop its unwelcome policies that serve to minimize the value of education in our province — from the $570 million in cuts to education announced last month to the $30 million penalty that LaSalle College now faces over English-language enrolment. As concerned citizens, we remind our government representatives that their duty is to foster all possible means to encourage our youth and help them prepare their future through education. Vivianne M. Silver, Côte-St-Luc A prescription for health care Re: ' What does excellence look like in health care? ' (Opinion, July 11) A thank you to Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg for explaining with great clarity what our health care system should strive for and what it must avoid. 'In health care,' he notes, 'excellence begins with putting the patient at the centre.' Are Health Minister Christian Dubé and his team listening and taking note? Ruth Khazzam, Westmount Submitting a letter to the editor Letters should be sent by email to letters@ We prioritize letters that respond to, or are inspired by, articles published by The Gazette. If you are responding to a specific article, let us know which one. Letters should be sent uniquely to us. The shorter they are — ideally, fewer than 200 words — the greater the chance of publication. Timing, clarity, factual accuracy and tone are all important, as is whether the writer has something new to add to the conversation. We reserve the right to edit and condense all letters. Care is taken to preserve the core of the writer's argument. Our policy is not to publish anonymous letters, those with pseudonyms or 'open letters' addressed to third parties. Letters are published with the author's full name and city or neighbourhood/borough of residence. Include a phone number and address to help verify identity; these will not be published. We will not indicate to you whether your letter will be published. If it has not been published within 10 days or so, it is not likely to be.
Montreal Gazette
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
Hanes: LaSalle College is the latest scapegoat in Legault's misguided language strategy
The quota limiting the number of students at English CEGEPs and colleges that was embedded in Bill 96, Quebec's law to protect French, was always a ticking time bomb. Rather than restrict access to francophones and allophones altogether, as some language hawks have long advocated, the government of Premier François Legault instead came up with a complicated formula to hold enrolment at English institutions to 17.5 per cent of the entire college network. If the cap is arbitrary enough already, divvying it up among the various schools is even more capricious. For good measure, the government set another booby trap: hefty penalties for any public and subsidized private colleges that exceed the benchmark. Oh, and if the enrolment numbers ever dip, the proportion allotted to English CEGEPs can never ever bob back up, according to the law. The sole purpose of these measures seems to be to limit the vitality of English institutions by backhanded means, since (last we checked) their doors are still open to all and they manage to appeal to graduates of English and French schools alike, much to the chagrin of language hardliners. So a sword of Damocles has been dangling over English CEGEPs and colleges ever since the law was adopted in 2022. It has made many administrators nervous as they recalibrated their admissions processes to abide by the cap while also overhauling their course offerings to ensure the francophone and allophone students they admit meet the same language requirements as graduates of French institutions. Now, the blade has finally fallen and it has struck a heavy blow against LaSalle College. The subsidized private college has been penalized $30 million for exceeding the quota of English-program students in each of the last two years. The government is trying to recoup $8.78 million from the college for going over the benchmark of 716 students for 2023-24 and $21.1 million for being 1,066 students over the quota in 2024-25. However, LaSalle says the majority of its English-program students are international enrolments, who pay their full ride and receive no subsidy from the government. Yet, the money the government is clawing back from the college funds the education of Quebec students, both French and English. There has been a lot of finger-wagging portraying LaSalle as an unrepentant language scofflaw that ought to have known better. On X, Higher Eduction Minister Pascale Déry lamented that LaSalle is the only college to contravene Bill 96 in this manner. Minister of the French Language Jean-François Roberge piled on, commenting that 'no one is above the law.' But as LaSalle College president and CEO Claude Marchand explained, the international students for which the school is being sanctioned had already been accepted or were in the middle of their programs when the government (belatedly) set the quota. LaSalle couldn't very well renege on their offers or kick people out of their courses (or at least it had the integrity not to). So its administration asked for a grace period to implement the cap. On top of that, LaSalle said the Quebec government approved the study permits of the international students attending. Given that most programs last two years, the college said it will be in compliance with Bill 96 by the 2025-26 school year. No matter. The Legault government has decided to make an example of LaSalle, as if the college is doing a dastardly deed by educating 5,000 students for careers in fields such as early childhood education, managing seniors' residences or accounting — yes, some of them in English — and honouring the commitments it made to international students, who registered at the college in good faith in pursuit of their hopes and dreams. Of course, its real crime was to try to reason with a government that concocted a punitive, political and discretionary quota system designed for the sole purpose of putting the squeeze on English institutions. But the practical consequences of this language crackdown could be severe. The hefty fine puts the future of LaSalle College, founded in 1959, at risk. If Marchand thought the government wouldn't dare let a valuable and established educational institution that employs 700 people go down the drain, perhaps he hasn't been paying attention. The Association des collèges privés du Québec has put out a statement in support of LaSalle. While recognizing the importance of protecting French, it said it has always had serious qualms about the penalties for missing the quota. It called for negotiations to reach a 'reasonable, fair and realistic solution' and 'avoid irreversible consequences' for the flagship college. You think that would be a no brainer — the first recourse, in fact. Alas, there are two things that are completely dispensable to the Legault government: the stability of English institutions and the fate of temporary immigrants, including promising and hard-working international students. This government has attempted to abolish English school boards and raised tuition for out-of-province university students, purportedly to prevent the anglicization of Montreal, a move that disproportionately hurts English academic institutions. LaSalle is contesting the fine in court — and could well be vindicated. But that may not even matter. English school boards have won two resounding legal victories, before Quebec Superior Court and the Quebec Court of Appeal, defending their constitutional rights over Bill 40. Yet, the Legault government is nevertheless appealing the judgements to the Supreme Court of Canada. McGill and Concordia also won a reprieve from the out-of-province tuition policy in court, but Déry's office has said Quebec still intends to collect the higher fees, even if the government won't appeal the ruling that called the hikes 'unreasonable.' The contempt is stunning — but the antagonism of English institutions is only compounded by the Legault government's disregard for immigration, which the premier once characterized as 'suicidal' for Quebec's language and culture if increased. In recent months, the Quebec government has scaled back many programs for both temporary and permanent immigrants as it drastically slashes the number of newcomers it plans to accept. Last fall, the government froze the Programme regulier des travailleurs qualifiés and the Programme de l'expérience Québécoise, two tried and true pathways to permanent residency. The latter was especially popular with international students who enrolled at Quebec colleges and universities, gaining valuable academic, work and life experience that should make them a natural fit. Now, it turns out that not only have new applications been suspended, but files already in the pipeline have been put on ice, too, leaving many people in limbo. Last winter, the government reduced by 20 per cent the quota of international students it will allow to study in Quebec next year. (Memo to LaSalle College, just in case). Earlier this month, the Quebec government also put a moratorium on some new sponsorship applications for those who want to bring loved ones like spouses, parents or adult children here to live. Legault has repeatedly asked the federal government to relocate some of the asylum seekers who have been entering Quebec — a form of immigration that policies can't control and which is putting pressure on the province's social services. Quebec adopted a new law laying out how new arrivals should integrate, while Bill 96 also cuts off their access to public services in a language other than French after six months — nevermind the long waits to access language classes. Whether its quotas, caps, deadlines, fines, laws or unrealistic expectations, immigrants are being set up to fail and English institutions are tiptoeing over trip wires as part of the Legault government's Machiavellian strategy to protect the French language.
CTV News
14-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Quebec private college association calls on CAQ to reconsider $30 million fine over English students
LaSalle College, which has been fined $30 million by the Quebec government for enrolling too many students in its English-language programs, is seen in Montreal on Friday, July 11, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press) The Association des collèges privés du Québec (ACPQ) is urging François Legault's Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government to negotiate with LaSalle College instead of imposing nearly $30 million in fines over English-speaking students. 'It unfairly compromises the viability of colleges that play an essential role in providing access to French-language post-secondary education here in Quebec,' the ACPQ said in a statement Monday. Last week, the college confirmed it was being fined for enrolling too many students in its English-language programs over the past two academic years, saying it was accused of contravening Quebec's French Language Charter. It was amended under Bill 96 to only allow junior colleges to enroll a certain number of students in their English-language programs. The ACPQ said it is alarmed by the CAQ's move, which could threaten the college's survival. It is calling for 'a reasonable, fair and realistic solution to avoid irreversible consequences for LaSalle College and all its students.' Private colleges receive some subsidies from the government, representing about 60 per cent of the subsidy allocated to students in the public system, according to the ACPQ. 'This substantial difference reflects the significant contribution of private colleges to the efficiency of Quebec's higher education system,' it said. The college association said it 'commends the government's stated commitment to protecting and promoting the French language,' and stressed that institutions like LaSalle College provide higher education in French. The ACPQ participated in Bill 96 consultations in May 2023 and recommended a gradual implementation of new measures as it was worried about the fairness of the government's proposed penalty system. 'However, we regret that the draft regulation concerning subsidy reductions unfairly and disproportionately targets many subsidized private colleges, which will jeopardize their sustainability,' the ACPQ said. 'In this context, the uniform application of a cutback, without regard to the structural differences between the public and subsidized private systems, is not only unjustified but counterproductive.' CTV News reached out to the French-Language Ministry for comment but did not hear back at the time of publication. The ACPQ is demanding that the government quickly put in place a negotiated transition plan based on 'justice, fairness and realism' and to treat LaSalle College 'in line with its historical and current contribution to the promotion of the French language and higher education in Quebec' and avoid the closure of a major institution. 'The ACPQ therefore calls for a reasonable, fair and realistic solution to avoid irreversible consequences for LaSalle College and all its students,' it said. With files from CTV News Montreal's Rachel Lau
Montreal Gazette
14-07-2025
- Business
- Montreal Gazette
Libman: Quebec remains in Carney's corner, but danger lies ahead
It's been over two months since Mark Carney was elected as our Captain Canada. Most voters felt he was best suited to navigate us through the turbulent waters churned by one very unpredictable U.S. president, with difficult trade negotiations ahead and recurring threats about our sovereignty. Many today would likely agree that he has been earning the confidence granted to him by voters. Carney seems to possess the right temperament and has shown, at least so far, that he can skilfully manoeuvre, plus choose the right words, in the difficult balancing act of dealing with Donald Trump's volatility. Carney's popularity has particularly solidified in Quebec. Despite him being considered an outsider, raised in Edmonton, his Liberals surprisingly dominated this province in the election, with their best result in 45 years. A June 28 Léger poll shows confidence in him has grown, with 58 per cent of Quebecers satisfied with his government. Surprisingly, that number hits 60 per cent among voters of the separatist Parti Québécois and Bloc Québécois. Carney has also bolstered his inner circle with prominent Quebec heavyweights, including Michael Sabia — one of Quebec's most respected business leaders — as incoming clerk of the Privy Council, the head of public service. Marc-André Blanchard, a Montreal lawyer and former ambassador to the United Nations, is his new chief of staff. He named François-Philippe Champagne as finance minister, Mélanie Joly as industry minister, and former MP and justice minister David Lametti as his principal secretary. Premier François Legault, who has been somewhat of a cheerleader for Carney, said after the election that ' Mr. Carney owes one to Quebecers. ' He's delivered so far. But rocky waters lie ahead. While Carney and his inner circle have economic heft and credibility to make the case to Quebecers regarding issues including trade, supply management and pipelines, how will they manage the perilous issues of identity and language? With cases on secularism law Bill 21 and language law Bill 96 winding their way toward the Supreme Court, nationalist opinion leaders who have been rueing Carney's popularity in Quebec are waiting to pounce. Carney has said if these Quebec laws were tested before the Supreme Court, his government would defend the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and intervene. Nationalist Quebecers jumped, as did ministers from the Coalition Avenir Québec government. Carney has been evasive since, suggesting it's the pre-emptive use of the notwithstanding clause — used to shield these laws from most of the charter — that his government would contest, not necessarily the substance of the laws themselves, which many believe clearly infringe on minority and linguistic rights. When push comes to shove, what will Carney do? His Quebec inner circle will undoubtedly want him to avoid riling up the nationalist hornets' nest at all costs. Will he thus completely reverse course and decide not to intervene in these cases, throwing minorities overboard? Another scenario, as he already hinted, would be to formulate opposition to the pre-emptive use of the notwithstanding clause in general — perhaps establishing a more rigorous framework while referring to its uses in Ontario and elsewhere, steering clear of the substance of the Quebec laws. Or maybe he could show some genuine leadership and prowess. Is it too much to expect for our prime minister — while affirming that Quebec values such as secularism and protecting French are important — to argue that the laws in question go too far? Most Quebecers respect Carney, seem willing to listen to him and are receptive to strong leadership and reason. If he is capable enough to navigate his way around the tempestuousness of Donald Trump, steering through the upcoming nationalist storm over his government's intervention in these court challenges should be relatively easy — and an important leadership test of Captain Canada. Robert Libman is an architect and planning consultant who has served as Equality Party leader and MNA, mayor of Côte-St-Luc and a member of the Montreal executive committee. He was a Conservative candidate in the 2015 federal election.
Montreal Gazette
11-07-2025
- Business
- Montreal Gazette
Quebec fines LaSalle College $30 million for having too many English-speaking students
The Quebec government has fined LaSalle College $30 million for enrolling too many English-speaking students during the past two academic years. The province accuses the college of contravening the province's French Language Charter, as amended by the Coalition Avenir Québec government's Bill 96. The legislation limits the number of students that CEGEPs are permitted to enrol in their English-language programs. The fines threaten the future of the college, its administration says. In a letter to LaSalle College dated June 28, 2024, Quebec's department of higher education said the school was surpassing its cap of 716 English-program students for the 2023-24 academic year. The college, it said, has to reimburse $8.78 million in excess public subsidies it received. The ministry accused the college of surpassing its English-language cap by 1,066 students for the 2024-25 academic year and ordered the college to pay back $21.11 million. The college says it is contesting the fine in the Quebec Superior Court. The college, which has campuses in downtown Montreal and Laval, was founded in Montreal in 1959. It is a private and subsidized institution offering college and pre-university programs. This story was originally published
